Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Be My Swim Coach for the Day!

....and you too can be bribed with coffee and baked goodies!! :) :) :)

Keith has been the first to take the challenge: at the spur of the moment yesterday, he drove the 2+ hours from Calgary and met me at the Pincher Creek pool for a private one on one lesson! Hee-hee!

He even brought his iPhone and took the above footage after all our work...(Santa also came early and brought me an underwater camera! Can't wait to start using that!!)

My swimming needs all the help it can get -- I cobbled together a stroke as an adult -- never took any learn-to-swim lessons, etc. (In hindsight, maybe I should have.) Thus, my "stroke" (using that term very loosely), is a combination of watching youtube videos, of absorbing advice from swim coaches, from lifeguards, from anyone who is faster than me.

The "catch" in swimming is something that I have been trying so hard to understand/feel. Like I was telling Keith yesterday, I HATE it when swimmers (aka people who were in swim club as kids) tell me to "feel" the water, that it "will feel so effortless" -- blah, blah, blah. That kind of talk is like someone going on about religion -- just TRUST in things, have FAITH, etc. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know all that stuff, but what in the hell is it supposed to FEEL like?!?!?!?!

Everything feels awkward to a new adult swimmer -- yes, even one that has been trying to swim for the past 6 years!

Thus, 2011 is the year of the swim stroke. Enough faffing around for me -- I am going to FEEL it baby. :)

12 comments:

The coffee shop she took me was really good! The pool is nice; I'd like to swim there regularly. Watching someone else made me think a lot more about what I was doing, trying to be a good example. And it was fun! Let's do it again sometime.

Hey try making fists with both your hands and swimming, you will need to adjust your arms to get maximum pull. Feels weird, you might sink but it takes away your hands and forces you to think about arm position. I was watching your elbows not your catch ...

Okay...here is my 2 cents:1. Your body appears to be moving around alot. Not so streamlined. Try doing the side to side drill...so kick on your right side for 10 kicks...take a stroke, and then kick on your left side for 10 kicks. Try to stay as streamlined as possible. Or even do the drill on one side for an entire length and then the other side on the way back. YOu should be right on your side.2. You have hardly any roll. the best way I can describe it is...your hand should enter the water just past your head ...extend that arm as far as possible..so you are literally on your side in the water...steady kick the whole time (I know...triathletes don't like to kick but it helps with streamlining...)...now think of your arm from your fingertips to your shoulder as a paddle under the water...get your shoulder into it...grab that water and PUSH your self past your hand. YOur thumb should hit your thigh...if you stand up and have your arm straight down...THAT is where your hand should leave the water in relation to your body. nOt at your hip. 3. When I am swimming my best...I am thinking of my self as a torpedo. Nice and tight and streamlined in the water. My body rolls from side to side...my shoulders and BACK are doing all the work. Think of the largest muscles in your upper body, they are your back and shoulders...USE THEM when you swim!! Why do you think swimmers have sexy backs? Just asking...Okay that was long and hopefully not confusing...but these are the things I think about when swimming.

Kelly -- THANK YOU! I have often heard that I don't roll enough -- I never know how to fix it...or I try things, and then I slowly revert back to my old habits...so thank you for the side drill. I am so excited about trying this!

I TOTALLY feel like I am fishtailing all over the place. In fact, in those rare moments where I don't feel it, I almost think I must be doing something wrong. I am going to do that side drill today -- going to start with one length at a time. Thanks for this!!!!

First time I've managed to get on for ages! I couldn't watch the video but I'll swim with you anyday, hopefully, you know that?? One thing though, swimming is never easy, you just swim faster - as Brett Sutton once saud, it should never be easy, if it is, you're not trying hard enough - lol!!

LOVe Kelly's explanation - I think of myself as a knitting needle (no idea way!) - less resistance = more speed. anything other than a knitting needle or torpedo = resistance :)

Come on down to Fernie and we'll go swimming...Hmmm....small point, but how come you're swimming....xxxx

Hey! If you are ever up my way I would love to go to the pool with you and give you some pointers! No bribes required! Edmonton is quite far from you, but the invite is there, and I would love to meet you sometime.

I would add to the other above tips that your right arm is entering the water quite wide, so you're losing that extra bit of water to pull. Working on the catch-up drill would help with that, as it would teach you where your hand should be entering each time. Also - most people don't realize but the kick is so important! I do a lot of kick work with my group as having a strong kick is very important for good body position. Kick with a board, side kick, fly kick on your back, you name it - it's all helpful! We usually do a set of kick every practice (usually between 400-500m total for the kick set - which is sometimes 20% of the workout). Doing hard fin sets is good too, but I wouldn't use fins more than 1x/week or bi-weekly. Feel free to email me if you need more tips!

Cath -- Thanks babe!! I like the knitting needle idea!! My foot is healing fast, the doc said I could swim, and then bike starting this week using pain as my guide. I am really careful when I swim - I only push off with one leg...LOL. And slowly at that because I don't want to overload my one leg. Hahahahaah!

A swimming date is totally needed -- plus I have that underwater camera now!! I can film you, so you could send some footage to Michelle. :) :) I really need a Freshie's date with you.

Lisa -- I am seriously thinking of driving to Edmonton just for some swim advice from you. Yes, I am a DORK. Hahahahahaha!!!

Thanks for the tips -- right hand is wide...catch-up drill, lots of kicking. You know, I am actually a much better kicker than swimmer -- ie. faster than other swimmers at Masters. But when I swim, I think I stop kicking. LOL. One more thing to remember. Hahaha! Thanks Lisa!! :) :) :)